


Dinner and an Autograph

by sweetiejelly



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-14
Updated: 2012-10-14
Packaged: 2017-11-16 08:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/537312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetiejelly/pseuds/sweetiejelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written belatedly for Cindy (cindyls1969)'s birthday. This is inspired by the "night in" prompt on my <a href="http://cottoncandy-bingo.dreamwidth.org/">cottoncandy_bingo</a> card.</p><p>Luke and Noah spend a date night in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner and an Autograph

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted to [LJ](http://sweetiejelly.livejournal.com/179433.html).

The scent hits him on entry. It’s thick and pleasantly so. Noah almost drops the book cradled in his arms. It looks like he’s not the only one with a surprise for tonight. 

Luke grins at him, pleased to shock. “You like? Wait till you taste. It’s divine. Or, well, it’s supposed to be.” A little crease appears between his eyebrows, like he’s thinking back, trying to remember what the recipe says. “Wait here. I think I need to stir.” With a quick kiss, Luke disappears in the direction of the kitchen.

Noah lets himself in and closes the door, turning the lock. Things Luke never seems to remember to do. Noah worries about him sometimes, the way he lives in a big city now like he’s still in a small town. “Chillax,” Luke had said the last time he brought it up. “I’m no Dorothy and Oakdale’s no Kansas. Besides, I remember to lock the door at least _half_ the time. Doesn’t that count?”

Noah’s pretty sure it doesn’t. But against Luke’s kisses, his defenses are weak.

“What’s in the bag?” Luke yells from the kitchen. “Is it DVDs? Are we watching geriatric – sorry, _nostalgic_ – black and whites again?”

Noah snorts. He sets down the book on the dining table and pads softly to the kitchen. Wrapping his arms around Luke, he sinks down to the sensitive flesh behind Luke’s ear and nips. Luke gasp-arches against him and elbows him in the stomach. “Hey! It’s _kiss_ the cook, not _bite_ the cook.”

“Oh, all right.” Noah places open mouthed kisses on Luke’s ear and jaw and down along Luke’s neck, worshipful.

“We are going to get to eat first, right?” Luke says a little unevenly as he stirs the sauce in the pot haphazardly. “I kinda spent a lot of time making this.”

Noah hugs him tight. It’s been such a long time since anyone’s cooked him a homemade meal. He does appreciate it, however more appealing his boyfriend is. “Just thanking the cook,” he says innocently.

“Uh huh,” Luke spoons up a tiny mouthful and blows it cool. “Here, try this. More salt? Or is it good?”

The tangy perfection hits Noah and echoes in a groan. “Perfect.”

Luke laughs and tastes it himself, nodding and so, so proud. “Holy crap! You’re not just being nice to me.”

Noah grins and kisses Luke’s cheek. God, his boyfriend is _adorable_. “I can do that, too,” he says quietly instead. “I’m not even making you watch any _quality_ movies tonight. We can watch whatever you want, even terrible reality TV.”

Luke turns in his arms and squints up at him. “You think we’re just going to end up making out on the couch,” Luke accuses with a finger to Noah’s chest.

Noah smiles at the thought. He catches Luke’s finger and brings it up for a kiss. “That sounds nice.”

Luke laughs and turns back to tend to the pot of vegetables.

\---

“So what’s in the package, Mayer?” Luke asks as they sit down to eat.

“A gift. Sort of.” He hands the wrapped bundle over. “I want it back though.”

“What kind of gift is that?!” Luke tears through the wrappings and stares at the book in his hands. “How – I don’t even – oh my god.”

Noah grins and pats his pockets for a pen. “May I have an autograph, Mr. Sexiest Writer Snyder?”

Luke is still turning his book around in his hands, examining the front cover and the back cover and the dedication page and all the rest, even though he’s seen proofs of all of these before. But this – holding a physical copy is a completely different feeling. “Oh, my god,” he says again. “Who did you bribe to get this advanced copy? I wasn’t even supposed to get mine till next week.”

Noah shrugs. “I have my ways.” He presents Luke with the pen. “Sign?”

Luke rolls his eyes affectionately but holds Noah’s head anyway for a kiss. “Have you read it?”

“No,” Noah shakes his head. “That’s why I need it back.”

“Have you read the dedication?”

Noah shakes his head again. He thought about it but he was half afraid to. Luke could have thanked a whole town of people, if he wanted to. He could have thanked the dearly departed, too.

“Read it later.” Luke kisses him again and takes the pen to sign. “Here.”

“Your first autograph,” Noah beams at him, feeling incredibly proud of Luke.

“My first autograph,” Luke grins back.

They eat in relative silence, too much involved with the flavor combination bursting on their tongues for speech. After dinner, Noah insists on washing up. “It’s the least I can do. Dinner really is delicious, chef,” he places a soft kiss on Luke’s lips, coming away with more pleasing tastes.

\---

Luke’s prediction for the night rings true after all. They watch a show full of loud people trying to act real for a little while, letting their stomachs settle the food. And then somehow – somewhere between a Subaru commercial and one for Cialis – they end up getting quite entangled, all legs and arms and fingers stuck in hair.

Luke makes good use of Noah’s lap, and Noah makes good use of Luke’s sofa. Their clothes make good use of Luke’s carpet, nestling there piece by piece.

Noah kisses Luke in all the ways he knows how to kiss Luke, easy and friendly, then harder and friendliest.

\---

When Noah gets home, he leans back against his door for a while. In a way, he loves that they are taking things slow, dating again before trying on more. But most nights, Noah just misses Luke a lot, misses the heat of his body pressed warm to his side, a foot inevitably slung over his ankles by morning. He misses looking at Luke in the sunrise, marveling that so much expression is contained in that peaceful rise and fall of a chest.

He shakes off this longing. They will get there. He has faith in them.

He turns on the light and cracks open the book, looking at Luke’s signature.

> Dear Noah,  
>  Read the dedication. & I hope you like the book, too.  
>  Love,  
>  Luke Snyder

Noah flips through till he comes to the page. His heart hammers so loud in his chest he thinks it might split in two.

The dedication reads:

> _To Noah M., the love of my life,_  
>  _You inspire me every day, more than you know._  
> 

He reads it again and again. _Love of my life._ Same, Noah thinks, same here.


End file.
